In the electrical connection art, crimping tools are widely known which crimp elongate electrical contacts to stripped ends of electrical wire. Simple hand tools of this type squeeze a barrel portion of the contact onto the stripped end of the wire. These hand tools employ plural crimping dies which are activated by the handles of the tool, to engage the contact in crimping fashion.
In typical operation, a contact is inserted between the dies and a stripped end extent of the wire is inserted into contact. Handles of the tool are then squeezed to crimp the wire in the contact. To assist the user in accurately supporting the contact between the dies, locating devices have been developed which attach to the tool adjacent dies to support the contact in proper position therebetween. Many of these locating devices have a stop surface preventing over insertion of the contact thereinto so that the barrel portion of the contact is positioned directly between the dies. While locating devices have been successfully used in combination with crimping tools, many of these devices, especially those having stop surfaces, fail to provide for accommodation of contact elongation. During the crimping process the barrel of the contact is compressed about the stripped end of the wire. Such compression causes the contact to deformably elongate in a longitudinal direction.
Locating devices having stop surfaces resist such elongation. This could result in damage to the contact or an ineffective crimp. It is advantageous to provide a contact locating device which is supportable on a crimping tool and which accurately supports the contact in proper position with respect to the crimping dies and which will accommodate contact elongation during crimping.